Ketchup is a pretty common staple in many American households. Kids seem to love it, and even as we grow up, the joy of ketchup seems to remain. In fact, McDonald’s uses about 250 million lbs. of ketchup in their restaurants annually. The problem is, is the ketchup we eat at fast food restaurants, or popular brands like Heinz that we use at home healthy?

Personally I hate the taste of Heinz. To me it’s very fake, sugary and chemically. Even the organic brand of Heinz is quite nasty for my palate. I currently use another organic brand that contains only clean and pure ingredients and I like it a lot better because it tastes like something you’d make fresh. But this! This is on my list to begin making.

Are All Ketchup’s Made Equally?

Various brands of ketchup will use different ingredients that will either make the end product healthier or not. Some of the big ones to look out for are:
– Are the tomatoes organic?

– Is there High Fructose Corn Syrup or Glucose/Fructose in it?

– Does it contain corn starch?

– Does it contain MSG?

The reason why you want to look out for these things is because it can either mean there are a lot of unwanted pesticides or toxins in the ketchup. If it contains HFCS or Glucose/fructose or corn syrup, you can bet it contains genetically modified ingredients (GMOs.) Not to mention, those ingredients can be very unhealthy for the body. MSG and other flavorings also don’t fair well with your health and are a good thing to avoid.

One of the most popular brands of ketchup, Heinz, has the follow ingredients: tomato concentrate made from red ripe tomatoes, distilled vinegar, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS),corn syrup,salt, spice, onion powder, and natural flavors.

I’ve highlighted in bold the ingredients that would be best avoided. The tomatoes would contain pesticides. The HFCS is a neurotoxin and a very unhealthy type of sugar. Both HFCS and corn syrup are likely GMO. The salt is likely table salt which dehydrates the body and extracts minerals. Sea salt is always best.

DIY Homemade Organic Ketchup

So here is how you can make your own healthy ketchup and the best part is you will know exactly what’s in it and you can source your own ingredients how you like. We always recommend organic or home-grown ingredients but of course that may not always be possible. This doesn’t mean you should stick with the old stuff, make it yourself but use as best ingredients as you can.